This Focus RS Makes Us Nostalgic for a Time When Ford Built Cars Besides the Mustang
- Ford doesn’t do fast hatchbacks in the U.S. anymore, but once it sold the best of them.
- 350 horsepower? A six-speed manual? Drift mode? Yes, please.
- If you missed your chance, this one has all the options and is nearly new with just 2200 miles.
Ford killed off the Focus globally just last year, much to the chagrin of anyone who enjoyed a scrappy little hatchback or sedan with a blue oval up front. Sure, the Mustang is still around, but the Focus and the Fiesta provided an entirely different kind of Fast Ford, compact performance that you could use every day. And there was one Focus trim that was the best of them all.
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Here’s a nearly new example of maximum Focus: a 2016 Focus RS with just 2200 miles on the odometer, for sale on Bring a Trailer (which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos). It’s a single-owner, garage-kept car from Texas, and for those in colder climes, it happens to have been optioned with the RS2 package that includes heated seats and a heated steering wheel. Slap on a set of snow tires, and get ready to shred this upcoming winter.
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Pairing a 350-hp 2.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with a six-speed manual gearbox and clever all-wheel drive, the Focus RS was basically Ford’s answer to the Subaru STI and the Mitsubishi Lancer EVO. WRC champion Colin McRae did spend quite a bit of time rallying in Fords, and that heritage was baked right into the RS, even if U.S. fans weren’t as broadly familiar with the world of rally.
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For those who were, the RS was a revelation. The punchy four built boost quickly, and it somehow had far more turbo personality than when it appeared in the EcoBoost version of the Mustang. The all-wheel drive was even better, equipped with the ability to direct as much as 70 percent of the power to either outside rear wheel. With understeer thus banished, the RS could tear up a winding back road with a pace equal to far more expensive machines.
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And yes, it came with Drift mode. Fully unlock this ability by switching off traction control, and the Focus RS can lay down Ken Block–style tire-smoking slides with ease. Not great for your tire budget, but huge fun nonetheless.
The only drawback was trying to get your hands on one when new, as dealers often tried to add considerable markup to the price tag. This example, painted a laid-back Stealth Gray, flies under the radar a bit and is just waiting for an owner who is going to pack on the miles.
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In a low-key color, and with only hints of the performance peeking out from that hatchback shape in the form of a rear wing and blue Brembo brakes, this RS is a bit of an if-you-know-then-you-know car. It’s a real shame that Ford doesn’t sell anything like it anymore. On the other hand, that just makes this one that much more special.
The auction ends on November 11.
Recent Fords at Auction
Brendan McAleer is a freelance writer and photographer based in North Vancouver, B.C., Canada. He grew up splitting his knuckles on British automobiles, came of age in the golden era of Japanese sport-compact performance, and began writing about cars and people in 2008. His particular interest is the intersection between humanity and machinery, whether it is the racing career of Walter Cronkite or Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki’s half-century obsession with the Citroën 2CV. He has taught both of his young daughters how to shift a manual transmission and is grateful for the excuse they provide to be perpetually buying Hot Wheels.
Source: www.caranddriver.com — article syndicated from the publisher’s feed; all rights remain with the original publisher.